From search and rescue to animal welfare, nonprofits are doing heroic work to serve their communities. Defender believes they deserve the hero’s reward—an unstoppable SUV and $30,000 in financing.
Updated April 8, 2026 at 11:39 AM
The best way to strengthen any community? Support the strong shared values that bind us together. These values—from supporting veterans to caring for animals—are at the heart of what mission-driven nonprofits do, and the reason Chase’s Defender Service Awards exist. Now in its sixth year, Defender Service Awards It honors organizations that undertake this heroic work, and rewards them with capable means and funding to expand and improve their services.
This means helping search and rescue teams reach accident victims in remote areas. Enabling access to the outdoors—and the health benefits they bring—for underserved youth, veterans, and those with physical disabilities. Rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals. Providing emergency food. These are just some of the ways nonprofits serve their communities, and it doesn’t happen without passionate people equipped with the resources they need.
Enter Defender Service Awards Presented by Chase, which honors these unsung heroes in our communities. And it’s not just a pat on the back. Each winner in six categories receives a customized Defender 130 SUV and a cash prize of $30,000. This could be a game-changer for a local non-profit, and is just the latest incarnation of the Defender brand’s legacy of supporting charitable organizations.
For decades, Defender has created legendary vehicles to transport service workers on missions to help others. This support – this commitment to embracing the impossible – has reached people in some of the world’s most remote corners, and operating the Defender 130 in non-profits across the United States and Canada is a natural extension of that spirit. Since 2021, the program has awarded 30 custom Defender SUVs and more than $1.5 million. In total, more than 120 non-profit organizations benefited, enabling them to improve and expand their services.
The entry period for the 2026 Defender Service Awards is Open nowSo if you work for a deserving nonprofit, know someone who does, or simply want to make sure your favorite charity gets a chance, now is the time to act. Here’s how it works:
Registered charitable organizations based in the United States and Canada Submit video entry in one of the six categories (below) by June 1, 2026. Once the finalists are selected, public voting determines the total winners, who will receive the Defender 130 Prize and $30,000. Thanks to Chase’s generosity, each category finalist will be awarded a $5,000 cash prize to assist with their services, while the winners in each category will receive $30,000. Additional partners Artemis, BBC Studios, and category sponsors Disney, ei3, and Outside Interactive Inc. help. Pelican, S&P Global Mobility and WPP in making the Defender Service Awards possible.
The 2026 classes are:
- Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award, presented by Disney
- Veterans and Civilian Employees Awareness Award, presented by WPP
- Community Service Award presented by ei3
- Search and Rescue and Emergency Support Services Award, presented by Pelican
- Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award, presented by Outside Interactive Inc.
- Defender Service Awards Honorary Mention (for previous finalists), presented by S&P Global Mobility
What is the impact of winning Defender Service Awards? Just read about how 2025 winners They planned to use their prize.
Ultimately, the Defender Service Awards are intended to expand these nonprofits’ ability to serve their communities. That’s why the Defender 130 is such a useful award. The three-row SUV transports up to eight volunteers, its large cargo capacity can be used to transport important equipment or even animals, and its legendary ability helps it reach hard-to-reach locations.
What can you do? Simply ask your favorite nonprofit to apply for the 2026 Defender Service Awards — Find Everything Login details here.
Brand Defender Embracing the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and extremely durable. A modern-day hero who respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future. Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each with its own charisma. The powerful luxury Defender OCTA is the master of performance – taking performance and capability to another level on and off-road. Defender is a beacon of freedom whose heritage can trace back to the first Land Rover in 1948, and is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust. The Defender brand is based on Land Rover, a trust built on more than 75 years of technology and world-leading off-road capabilities. Defenders are designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR family of brands alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar.
